Brighton 1 Southampton 1: Match ends in controversy as Saints denied winning goal after VAR call

RUSSELL MARTIN was near seething aft Southampton were denied lone a 2nd triumph of the play arsenic VAR caused chaos erstwhile again. 

Saints were successful dreamland erstwhile Cameron Archer looked arsenic though helium had slotted location a 67th-minute victor to yet supply the nine with a glimmer of hope. 

It came aft Flynn Downes had cancelled retired Kaoru Mitoma’s opener for the high-flying Seagulls who had the imaginable of soaring into the heady heights of second-place successful the array with a gully oregon a win. 

But you tin ever trust connected VAR to inflict much misery connected a Southampton broadside who look each but down earlier the advent calendars person been opened. 

A lengthy cheque by VAR ref Jarred Gillett which progressive tons of zooming successful and retired and lines resulted successful the extremity being chalked disconnected for offside, leaving Martin and co gobsmacked. 

It was ruled retired not due to the fact that Archer was offside but due to the fact that Adam Armstrong was offside and deemed to beryllium interfering with play arsenic the transverse came in.

The cameras panned to Martin who was effing and blinding connected the touchline with Saints stone bottommost of the table. 

It's worthy remembering his Southampton strugglers would enactment astatine the ft of the array nary substance what happened astatine the Amex past night. 

It was a immense fto disconnected for Brighton who are present sitting beauteous successful second, bang connected level with Manchester City connected extremity difference. 

Brighton’s exemplary arsenic a shot nine has ever been revolutionary and refreshing successful adjacent measure, but past nighttime begs the question of whether they person got the minerals to go existent small contenders?

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Stats driven recruitment is the beating bosom of their occurrence portion their young and ambitious manager, Fabian Hurzeler has produced an exceptional commencement to the season, but consistency volition beryllium key. 

With 23 points from their archetypal 13 games, this remains Brighton's champion commencement to a top-flight season.

And since the opening of October, lone leaders Liverpool person won much points.

As expected, the hosts burst retired the traps, with Georginio Rutter teeing up Kaoru Mitoma, who would person lashed successful the opener had it not been for Joe Lumley’s digit tips. 

Rutter was backmost for much with his twinkle toes twisting wrong and retired of 3 pinkish shirts earlier helium flicked a changeable conscionable wide. 

It was nary astonishment that the French 22-year-old produced Brighton’s champion accidental arsenic helium chopped wrong and drilled a changeable disconnected the acold post. 

Brighton were gathering and got their deserved opener connected 28 minutes arsenic Tariq Lamptey pulled distant from Taylor Harwood-Bellis to tee up Mitoma who headed home. 

It was dreadful defending though arsenic Saints allowed the shot to bounce astir the punishment spot portion the defenders shirked their duties erstwhile again. 

The cameras panned to a dejected Martin who was shaking his caput arsenic the extremity replayed connected his ipad. 

He should person played Candy Crush connected his ipad alternatively of looking astatine his side’s abysmal defending. 

Meanwhile Mitoma, different hidden gem unearthed by Tony Bloom, is present 1 extremity abbreviated of Shinji Okazaki's 14-goal grounds arsenic the apical Japanese scorer successful the top-flight. 

Chants of “You’re going down with the Palace” rang retired from the boisterous North Stand, but it lone riled up Martin and co. 

The Saints brag shouted “f***ing travel on” conscionable aft a immense accidental for Cameron Archer who latched onto an inch-perfect Yukinari Sugawara transverse earlier shinning it implicit from eight-yards. 

Brighton looked arsenic though they were bossing it again aft the interruption arsenic Lamptey and Welbeck linking up earlier Matt O’Reily fired successful a cross, but Mitoma was incapable to marque the important touch. 

The hosts were stunned though erstwhile retired of perfectly thing Downes hammered the shot location connected 58 minutes. 

The leveller was fired successful connected the borderline of the container aft the shot ricocheted retired to the Saints midfielder aft Armstrong and Ryan Manning some had shots blocked. 

Southampton couldn't judge it erstwhile Ryan Fraser’s transverse recovered Archer six-yards retired and helium slotted into the bottommost corner, sparking mayhem successful the distant extremity connected 67 minutes earlier the VAR misery. 

Brighton deed backmost powerfully with Rutter astir making it 2-1 with an outrageous bicycle footwear from Welbeck’s cross but they couldn't find a second.